Police Officers Warned Of Off-duty Job Conflicts

July 12, 1991|By JOHN GITTELSOHN, Staff Writer

CORAL SPRINGS -- Police officers can moonlight as interior decorators, but they might run into trouble if they try selling home burglar alarms.

That opinion was given by the State Commission on Ethics this week to a Coral Springs police officer who was considering buying an interest in a home burglar alarm company. Selling burglar alarms could create ``a temptation to dishonor`` an officer`s badge the ethics commission concluded.

``You can do basically anything that doesn`t conflict with your role as a police officer. Guys have lawn services. Some do pool maintenance. Some have companies where they sell household items, like interior decorating types of things,`` said Coral Springs Police Chief Roy Arigo. ``We just don`t want them to get involved in a compromising situation.``

The police officer`s name was deleted from the ethics commission`s opinion. The officer raised the question with the police department, Arigo said, and it was reviewed by the city attorney`s office before being sent to Tallahassee for a recommendation.

According to the ethics commission, a problem arose because Coral Springs fines people when police and fire officials have to respond to false alarms. A police officer might be reluctant to report false alarms, the opinion said, if the alarm belonged to one of his customers.

``A temptation to dishonor is present due to the tension between the officer`s interest in promoting and protecting his products, services and customers and the performance of his public duties in enforcing a burglar alarm ordinance,`` the ethics commission stated.

Other side jobs off limits to police are working at a bar or store licensed to sell alcohol, Arigo said. Officers cannot operate a tow truck or taxicab because such businesses receive frequent referrals from the police department. They must not moonlight as private investigators or bill collectors, Arigo said.